The Afterthought
by Gigaswoo
Summary: Clementine and the remaining survivors are divided on whether Wellington or Howes is their best place for survival. Little do they know their story will be far more than a scope that small.
1. Chapter 1: Road

"Clementine, just… stay out of it." _Luke rested his hand on my shoulder as he looked at the ready to explode volcano of a conversation between one of my newest friends and one of my oldest ones. Nick sat to the right of me not really commenting, just looking nervously in front of him then decided to peer out of his window just avoiding the conflict… or at least trying to. _"I'm telling ya Wellington's our best bet! I'm not gonna listen to your batshit crazy idea of goin' back to the same place where we almost fucking died!" _I love snow. I always used to play in it as a kid. My parents, mom especially, would never let me go play in it without mittens, or my small blue ski hat or my winter coat. But even though we're surrounded by it, it's become more my enemy than my friend. AJ squirmed in my arms, he'd start crying soon. _"NO old man! You need to listen to suggestions and not just the ones rattling around in your thick fucking head!" _Kenny slammed a hand on the wheel and pointed an accusing finger at Jane while driving at 40MPH. He looked seriously pissed, I've never seen him like this since Ben. _"Says the one who claims to be a fuckin' loner! What the hell happened? You sure seemed to come forward about yourself so damn easily to Clem, and before that you came back right after you fuckin' ditched us! You are unpredictable and that makes you untrustworthy!" _AJ's pudgy little face squished together and his closed eyes started to shake along with his lips. Within a mere few milliseconds he let out the familiar infant wail that drew Nick's attention. He looked at him startled then slowly reverted back to his nervous expression though it shifted to a stoic neutral when he tried to not show what he was feeling. He eventually turned back to the window and peered out yet again. I turned to Luke and he gave me all I needed to know with his eyes. He didn't like what was going on but there was so little he could do about it. He squeezed my shoulder in an effort to make me feel better and I gave him my appreciation by smiling. He smiled back, as forced as it was it was worth it._

_At first Jane seemed stunned at Kenny's gesture but proved me wrong when she gave him more slack. _"Oh cut the alpha male, macho bullshit! You have no fucking right to know what I share with Clementine! Keep your own shit to yourself!" _Kenny quickly glared at Jane until he quickly focused back on the road. _"Hey man, watch the fucking road!" _Luke shouted out to Kenny to try and stop us from coming into a major collision, maybe even killing some poor survivor by accident. Does that really matter in this world anymore? Kenny seemed to ignore Luke at least verbally, but he seemed to be obeying as he's focusing more on the road and beginning to shoot back at Jane while keeping his eyes… oh sorry eye on the road. _"Course I have the right! You have no fucking idea what me and her went through! I know her, she knows me. Just because you shared a drink with her and saved our hides once or twice doesn't mean you get to try and make her your new fuckin sister!" _Jane clenched her fists now. I was sure she would hit him, and possibly get us all killed. _"You never even thanked me when I knifed that Russian! You think that maybe I get some appreciation for you being able to drive the fucking thing!?" _Kenny showed little body language as he stayed focused on driving, but his mouth showed a lot. _"Thanks a lot Jane! You fuckin' happy now!" _Unexpectedly, Luke must've finally got tired of the two clashing personalities and voices assaulting his ear drums along with AJ's wailing. _"Fuck's sake! Will you just-." _Jane cut him off. Realizing what happened Luke slumped back and gave up on trying to say anything, never letting go of my shoulder. _"Not really. It took you long enough!" _The speed crept up to 50. Nick seemed to notice the scenery shooting past with more speed than before. I saw him turn to Kenny with a frantic expression. _"Damn it old man, slow the fuck down!" _He must've been too frustrated to lighten his foot off the acceleration as he seemed to take his excessive force out on the pressure against the pedal. We were in a dangerous situation. Jane wasn't helping. _"You know there could be Baby formula back at Howes!"

"I ain't taking the goddamn chance!" _Jane sneered, I knew that with a look like that she'd low blow him, low blowing Kenny is so bad of an idea I felt dread creeping through my skin. _"I knew it! Me, Clem and the cabin group. We're all just dead weight to you. Is it your family? The wounded scarred warrior trying to save dead people?" _Kenny seemed to shake in a sudden jolt at the word "Family" the speed on the car seemed to lower but I doubt that will last long._ "Don't you fucking dare." _The words were sharp and direct with a shade of uncertainty and hurt. Luke noticed this and tried to defuse the situation. _"Jane I know you two have your problems but Jesus don't go that far." _She only looked at him for a split second with an unchanged expression but looked back at Kenny with a sudden smirk of satisfied petty victory. She hit a button, she knew it and she will keep pressing it. _"What about Sarita? At least Clem did her best to save her but where were you Kenny? Where were you?" _Kenny didn't get the same jolt but he seemed more on the hunched over side of posture. Trying to focus on the road but having a conflict of whether to keep looking at what's in front of him or what's emasculating him with words of accusing cruelty scrutinising his failure. He finally decided to give in and look at Jane with wide white eyes. Not the aggression he used to have but he was getting there. _"Damn you! I loved that woman. One more word about my family and I will _end _you!" _Nick looked at the bickering pair and mouthed at me to do something. He was right to do so, it was getting out of hand. _"Will you two just stop!?" _Jane only spared me a sideways glance but decided to press on. _"Everyone's afraid of you Kenny! That's why Bonnie, Mike and Arvo tried to abandon us. That's why I tried to leave! Everyone around you ends up dead! Clementine knows it, Sarita knew it, and I know it!" _Kenny finally gave in and turned to Jane with a swift turn of aggression. Not noticing the oncoming shape blocking the road. _"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" "Go to hell you son of a bitch!" _Without thinking I reflexed verbally. Even managing to shout over AJ's cries. _"LOOK OUT!" _Kenny looked back in front and panicked, immediately breaking the truck as it swerved in a perfect 360, returning us to the forward position and be met with the site of a build-up of cars blockading the road._

_Kenny rested his head don the wheel as he took a few deep breaths of relief. He rose up and looked around the truck. _"Is everyone alright?" _We all responded with varying confirmations, he then turned his attention to me and looked down at the bundle in my arms. _"Is AJ alright?" _I looked at the dark skinned new born. He still cried lightly but not wailing like before. _"Yeah he's fine". _Kenny turned his attention to the build-up and seemed to ponder on something, Jane looked impatient while Luke seemed to look anxious about something. Probably about what happened earlier. _"What the hell was that about?" _Kenny quickly turned to look at Luke with an annoyed grunt. _"Now's not the damn time kid. One of those cars might have diesel." _Jane looked at Kenny with a questioning look. Pretty much her default expression whenever it came to something related to Kenny. _"It's too dangerous outside." "We're running on fumes. We ain't got a choice. If I hear anything I'll holler just wait here." _Nick looked away from the window, deciding to leave with Kenny. _"I'll go with you." _Jane looked behind her at him, giving him a stoic expression while he sported a nervous one. _"No we all wait here. We don't need to lose 2 in case anything happens. Besides ever since Arvo took the rifle we don't have much in the way of protection." _Nick merely looked down, pondering the answer to her order until Kenny made a decision for him. _"Fine. I'll go by myself. You're actually right for once." _The door opened as a breeze of cold swished in making me shiver. He took one foot out into the snow with a crunch. _"Kenny I'm-"He_ wouldn't let her finish, he waved a hand in front of her and opened the door all the way. _"Forget it. Doesn't matter. Let's just get the diesel and go to Wellington." _Jane coldly looked at him as he got out. When he was about to close the door she made sure to mouth "Howe's" in response he simply slammed the door. Apparently not caring if any walkers heard us. Or maybe he just didn't think about that._

"I can't believe he just slammed the door like that." _Luke spoke up in concern. He now looked frantically out of his window and the rear one to look for what was probably walkers. He never made any warnings or sights of them. So we could be safe for now. _"I told you he's dangerous. A mad dog waiting for the right trigger." _Just to make sure if he was ok I looked at Nick. He had raised his head up some time ago and listened intently. When he was sure he had a conversational opening he entered it with a surprising defence for Kenny. _"The guy's lost his family. I mean give him a break." _Jane looked towards him with a questioning gaze, half lidded eyes that spoke of suspicion and distrust. _"We all lost family. Especially you, the only difference between us and him is that we let go and moved on. He hasn't." _Nick just shrugged in response and lowered his head back down to the ground in silence. Jane kept eyeing him for a few seconds until she looked back front through the windshield. Kenny was still out there, looking through the car fuel entrances one by one. At some point he even lightly slammed a fist against the light blue car in our way. No one wanted to speak of the consequences of what could happen if things took an unwanted turn. But I guess Luke thought someone had to. _"What if he doesn't find any diesel? What then?" _Jane looked worryingly at Luke, at least for a split second until she hardened her soft expression and tried to keep her "Tough girl" attitude for him and everyone else. _"We travel by foot. Even Kenny will agree to that, we won't have a choice." _Luke simply nodded in dismay and just lied back with his eyes closed. I don't know if she didn't notice or didn't care that I saw her but her face softened into something of a concerned look for Luke that ended with a light smile at his form as if she was eyeing a teddy bear. As much as she wanted to keep watching him she resigned herself to the reality of the situation as she has done so many times before. She turned her face back to the thick shell of neutrality. Sometimes I wondered if that was the mask or the soft face was the mask she put on for Luke. Maybe they both were and she had many more to use when necessary._

_Kenny must've made a discovery when he headed back. The snow almost entirely covered the windshield but I could make him out. We waited cautiously for what he might do next. The door to the driver's seat opened and he peered into the truck as the snow started to rage outside. _"I found one. I'll go siphon it but first we wait 5 minutes. I don't like the look of that blizzard." _We spoke nothing for a few seconds until Jane decided to make light of Kenny's choice to stay in and wait out the snow storm. _"Not like you to say something sensible_._" _Kenny looked at her with annoyance. _"Shut up." _Jane actually complied for once and scoffed turning her attentio0n out to her now covered window like Nick did._

_There was a grumble in my stomach, a painful sensation. The all too familiar feeling of hunger. _"You hungry Clem?" _Kenny kept his eyes in front of him but kept the small talk going. _"Well we all re. Fortunately we can last 40 days without food, did you know that?" _I nodded in response and I could tell he saw me because he looked through the interior mirror as he smiled. _"Well we can't last over 3 days without water. We might have to start eating the snow." _I chuckled in amusement but the others weren't so amused. They just kept thinking about how bad the situation really was or so I think that's what they were thinking. It was enough humour for me for one day honestly. All I had left was patience, my friends and what little supplies we had. But more especially the little bundle of blind innocence in my hands. I've never felt so unsure of something in my life since…. Lee._

Author's Note: You may be wondering why Luke and Nick are alive. Well because I think Luke has potential and Nick was a favourite of mine with an undeserved anticlimactic end. After some thinking I decided that Jane won't do that stupid thing with the baby and that Kenny won't do that stupid thing with the trying to kill her thing. Some characters from Season 1 will return.


	2. Chapter 2: Decision (Choice 1)

"Ok we're refuelled but we need a plan and I for one am not in favour of Jane's suicide mission so it looks like we're gonna have to figure out what to do before we even do anything." The blizzard had died down outside but the social tension did not. After Kenny had left, Jane tried to convince us that he's a loose cannon, he'll get us all killed, he needs to at least be talked down and kept under control which she decided was impossible. From the reactions she got I could tell that Luke was on her side, if only to be a white knight for her at least. While Nick defended Kenny due to other survivors likely having already took whatever was left inside Carver's settlement. Jane being Jane shot him down and said that if he wanted to go with Kenny then it was fine by her but the only resolution she seemed to come to is that the group splits and go their own separate ways. I couldn't bare to lose either but in a world like this you become a adapted more and more to the fleeting faces you grow to care about and then find that you stop a day after they're gone. For me I was getting closer to doing that before I even see someone new. Jane decided to address the issue before I could ponder even further. "I'm not waiting another minute in here. I say we go our own ways and hopefully I won't see you again." Kenny scoffed with a hand wave of indifference. "Fine. But I'm keeping the truck and AJ stays with me." Jane seemed to look at him with murder in her eyes at the moment he said truck. She clearly wanted a vehicle but at the same time violence was a last resort to her and no doubt even Luke would break up any infighting. "Fine." She said with swallowed pride. "Attracts too much noise anyway." She then turned back to face us with forced stoicism. "I assume you're staying with him?" Nick simply nodded and she then turned her attention to Luke. "Well?" Luke was shocked. "Jane just slow down for Christ's sake! We can't just-""No Luke! We can! I'm not staying here trying to convince Kenny to head back when he's so set on going forward like a maniac! It's either me or him." Luke looked like a deer in headlights. He made a gulp sound then looked to me for some kind of an easy answer. I never gave him one. "You." He finally said with a shake. "I'll go with you." I knew it was my turn. I looked away from Luke to the brown haired woman. Jane seemed to have a softer expression when it came to me. "Well." She began. "Your turn."

AU: Well I didn't know which branch to pick so if you feel so inclined make a choice.


	3. Chapter 3: Farewell

"_Clem? Clem, can you hear me?" _

"_Huh?"_

Luke was looking at me with concern etched on him. He was standing next to Jane who had her arms crossed. I looked to my left to see that Kenny and Nick were beside me in a kind of goodbye scenario. Snow began to slowly fall, almost as if it reacted to my emotional being right now.

"_You've been staring off into space for the past 15 seconds. Something bothering you? I mean apart from… you know." _

"_What did I say?"_

"_You mean you don't remember?"_

Luke placed his hand on his face in quiet thought. He seemed to think on what to say until Jane decided to take the initiative as always and remind me herself.

"_You chose to go with Kenny." _She said the words in a tone mixed with hesitant venom as if she's trying her hardest to hate me but can't bring herself too. After all she perfectly understood my decision. It was coming back to me. A shocked face on one side and a pleased one on the other. Kenny looked so smug about it all and Jane never had the energy to fire back. She was scowling lightly until she had a harder look at me and deeply sighed as if letting go of the resentment.

"_Hey Clem. Come over here I want to give you something."_

I knew I shouldn't be suspicious, but I decided to keep my wits up and slowly approached. The snow made crunching sounds beneath, me with every step. The skin burning with the cold. I couldn't wait to get back in the truck. Which mad me wonder how Jane and Luke expected to survive this weather.

I walked dup to Jane and she gave me that "Big sister" look again. Something I grew to loathe, or miss with every expression of warmth in general. She reached behind her to get something from her pocket. I could almost feel the daggers Kenny was aiming at Jane while Nick seemed to be missing from my intuition. He had a way of being invisible even when he never means to.

"_I always sucked at playing it and… you'll need this." _She gave me two items, a harmonica in a black silver lined box. I knew what it was due to the shape. And the other was a piece of paper. A list actually.

"_In case you ever needed these I wrote the thing out. I also thought in case we never see each other again it was better to hand it over now." _Luke had a sad smile on him. Deciding that it was best that he didn't get involved in the moment. "_I don't know how to play the harmonica." _She looked up lightly in a reminiscing smile. Nostalgic even, I knew she was ready to give me the instrument's history.

"_It was my grandfather's, he wasn't great at it but he was decent enough. I only really remember him playing it twice he died when I was pretty young. So my dad tried it and he was better but he didn't have the passion that would have kept him interested in playing. So he gave it to my sister as a birthday present. Being the 21__st__ century girl that she was she hated it so I took it. And I sucked at it ever since." _

"_I think you're supposed to blow." _I couldn't help myself but be as desperately humorous as I could. At least Luke giggled. Jane raised a smile at me and patted my head.

"_Clementine, don't ever change." _

"_As long as you won't."_

Jane seemed to recoil slightly at my words. She seemed to have a depressed expression replacing her smile.

"_Yeah." _Was all she could mutter…? In one of the weakest voices I ever heard.

Looking to change the subject. I looked at the list, it was an odd one. Among the items were Pantyhose, tampons, first aid, balaclavas, socks, garbage bags bandannas, dishwashing gloves, pencils and a bunch of other stuff.

"_Jane what is this?"_

She gave me a light smile and took the list gently and showed it to me with a finger moving from item to item.

"_It's survival gear. Some of it's pretty much a no brainer but you would be amazed at how much pantyhose can carry or harmful bacteria could be on your hands when handling game. Pencils can also be used to write codes only your group could understand, directions if you're lost or even something to poke an eye out of some scumbag."_

I looked over the list and took it back from her. She seemed gently taken aback but amused at my eagerness. _"I can't explain them all to you now. But you're a smart girl. They should come to you rather easily."_

I nodded and pocketed both the harmonica and the list.

"_You know I'm only giving you that harmonica because you're the only family I have left. You better take care of it." _I nodded while at the same time understanding what she was trying to do. A one last ditch effort at guilt tripping me into going wither her so she won't feel as alone right now. Even with Luke she never truly got over Jaime's death. I was just a substitute she never gave a bad haircut. In any other circumstances she probably would have. I would have welcomed it. But she was going backwards. All I wanted to go was the other way even if it led to my death. I didn't want any reminder of… him.

Realizing from my still stance that I was not going to change my mind she lightly sighed and patted my head again. Walking over to Luke and putting a hand on his shoulder. The two walked towards the horizon of white. After a few seconds their silhouettes were visible in the distance ready to disappear.

"_Come on Clem! We gotta get to Wellington and fast!" _I complied immediatelyfor Kenny and ran over to them. Nick seemed to be downbeat as usual but this was his lowest point. He reminded me of Ben in a way. Kenny gave me a sympathetic look. I couldn't help but glare at him. I wasn't in the mood for sympathy and he could tell. He was slightly intimidated and immediately hot into the driver's seat and Nick took shotgun. Leaving me in the back with AJ who was quietly sleeping the whole time.

"_I can't believe Luke just took off man. After everything we went through." _Kenny just started up the truck and put it into as low acceleration dodging the cars in front before speeding when he saw a clear opening.

"_It was for the best alright? We would have never got anywhere with those two constantly tryin' to go one way and us another. Especially Jane." _Kenny looked as though he gave himself a mental kick and kept his eyes on the road while interacting with me.

"_Sorry Clem. I know you two were close but. Look Wellington is safe. I know it. Lotta people are headin' over there. They wouldn't if it wasn't safe right!?"_

Nick spoke up in question.

"_What if we're late to the party? What if we're like, too late and they ran out of room?" _Kenny didn't seem to like being questioned but took it in stride and just decided t point out a perceived flaw in Nick's reasoning.

"_Oh well if you think so then why did you come with us?"_

"_Hey it was either that or hypothermia."_

Hypothermia. I couldn't help but think of Jane and Luke's corpses frozen in a snow bed. Pale as the stuff they fell on. Four sets of eyes opening at the same time. A hand twitching on her body. His rising.

"_Kenny. You think hypothermia will kill them?" _I asked with no emotion in my voice. And minimal concern in my body.

"_I… I don't know Clem alright? Jane seems like she can take care of herself. Hell, even Luke. You know he travelled all the way on foot to Carver's camp. The two of them together? I'm more scared for the walkers."_

I forced a smile just for him. He gave me a shaky one return of under-confidence and turned back to the road. Nick just went back to looking out the window before Jane and Luke left. I was busy holding AJ in my arms. Still sleeping. If there was any goodness left tin this world it was him. Or any other baby I never saw.

Wellington is our next stop. And I really could not see how it would turn out to be any different from the past 2 years of my life. But hopefully it really is as safe as Kenny says it is. Then maybe AJ would have a chance to grow up. I wonder how much supply Wellington has.

"_Kenny do you think Wellington will have enough supplies?"_

"_They better. I mean… I'm sure they do. Otherwise all this'd be for nothin'. Well, except maybe to avoid the camp from hell."_

In agreement I smile a genuine smile. And did my best to enjoy the smooth ride on the road like I used to with my parents. Dad at the wheel… mom in the front seat…. Me in the back. Just the three of us…


End file.
